176 - Dangerous Person
"Don't mess with me! What is the meaning of this!"
――It was a spacious room.
Specifically, it was the office of Fidel Trace, the head of the Trace Merchant Guild. Light streamed in through large windows, and the room was adorned with numerous luxurious furnishings.
The Trace Merchant Guild, which handled shipping and other businesses, was one of the leading merchant houses in Baym. Fidel was one of the representatives of the Baym merchants and one of the most influential merchants.
Such a man, Fidel, was currently glaring at a man in his thirties while crushing a report in his grip.
The man offered an excuse.
"I-I am terribly sorry! However, I judged that guards were necessary and pushed them in on my own authority. In fact, according to those who returned from Cartaphus, the Trident Sea Serpent was defeated, and both the young lady and the ship's cargo were safe, so――"
"Stop making excuses! You! What kind of man did you put on Vera's ship! Look! Even that princess of Rolfis is completely smitten! And then there's Zain! He has relations with both a Saintess and a former Saintess!"
The reason for Fidel's fury was simple. After all, a womanizing adventurer, albeit a skilled one, had boarded his daughter Vera's ship.
He had desperately wanted this transaction to succeed.
That was why Fidel had sent his daughter out, but he had only heard from his subordinate that an excellent adventurer had been brought along.
However, when news spread through Baym that they had encountered and defeated the Trident Sea Serpent, he became curious about this adventurer.
He had considered signing an exclusive contract, and above all, the man was the benefactor of his precious daughter. Though he was busy and could not meet his daughters often, Fidel cherished them deeply.
When he looked into this benefactor, the man was indeed impressive.
To the point where he felt lucky to have been able to hire him.
However, upon reading the report, a shocking fact came to light for Fidel.
He had allowed a suspicious adventurer, someone who should never have been on his daughter's ship, to board. Fidel was filled with regret.
"T-this fellow... is he actually using some suspicious skill to seduce women! What will you do if he... if he lays a hand on Vera!"
Faced with Fidel's rage, the man who had arranged for Lyell and the others was bewildered.
"B-but his evaluation at the guild is high, and regarding his work――"
"I don't care about that! He's the kind of guy who charms women! How can you say he isn't deeply embedded in the guild! Gah... isn't Vera's safety at risk!"
The man looked at Fidel with a slight sense of exasperation. While he respected him in business, Fidel's worrying nature always surfaced whenever his daughters were involved.
Because of this, Vera and his other daughter, Gina Trace, always had proper guards.
The man remembered this.
"Please calm down, Lord Fidel. There are sturdy sailors surrounding Lady Vera. To them, Lady Vera is a goddess of fortune. No mediocre man can even get close to her. Besides, the ship is their domain."
Fidel still looked anxious.
He ruffled his slicked-back black hair and spread open the crushed report to reread the contents.
"T-true, Vera is adored by the sailors. She was unlucky this time, but she is my lovely daughter, loved by the sea... there's no way she'd be seduced by some mere adventurer brat."
But Fidel thought.
(Since coming to Baym, he's had a high request completion rate and has been involved in the subjugation of labyrinths. There's no doubt he's excellent. I heard he played at being a mercenary in Zain, and the results were top-tier. But why does he always have beautiful women surrounding him... Should I have the guild investigate him after all? The best way to deal with holders of these kinds of troublesome skills is to eliminate them at an early stage. That's it. This isn't because Vera is in danger. It's for the sake of the world!)
Making excuses to himself, Fidel decided to take action before Vera returned.
The guild was under the management of the merchants.
If a merchant of Fidel's stature spoke up, there were many who would move.
After resetting his hair, Fidel crumpled the report into a ball and threw it into the trash can, lightly tracing his proud beard with his finger.
"...I'll welcome her when the ship arrives at the port. In the meantime, prepare some skilled people. I'll have to arrange the reward separately."
The results of this venture held great meaning for Fidel as well. It meant that the Vera Trace was a ship that even the Trident Sea Serpent could not sink.
He wouldn't go so far as to say they defeated it, but still, one never knows what might happen during a voyage. If they were perceived as lucky, more people would ask them to transport their cargo.
If the cargo arrived safely, the number of customers utilizing them would increase.
The man nodded with a serious expression and left the room.
Before returning to work, Fidel wrote a letter addressed to the guild.
"Hmph! I don't care if he's the son of a prestigious noble family, if he gets close to my Vera, I'll have him disappear. And if he's already laid a hand on her..."
Wearing a dark smile, Fidel finished the letter and returned to his work――.
――Tanya, acting as Tanya, had been summoned by the guild executives.
She had been called to headquarters along with her superior.
Both the superior and Tanya were bewildered by the panicked expressions of the executives.
"This Lyell Walt... what kind of person is he from your perspective? I can tell from the report that his skills are certain. But what is his character like?"
Facing the anxious guild headquarters, and an executive at that, Tanya was confused.
"He is an excellent adventurer, and there is nothing to suggest he has a bad personality. He accepts our requests as much as possible, and this time he even subjugated a Land Dragon in Cartaphus――"
"That's not it. You, what do you think?"
The executive sought the superior's opinion. Tanya felt that since she was the one talking to him at the reception, she was the most suitable person to know his character.
However, since she was in front of an executive, she kept her mouth shut.
"Even if you ask me... there is nothing more than what is in the report. Is there some problem?"
The executive, looking as if it were difficult to say, showed an envelope to the superior.
Upon seeing the name, the superior's eyes widened.
"A letter from one of Baym's representatives――Lord Fidel Trace. He contacted us with a consultation, mentioning he was a bit concerned."
Hearing that name, Tanya wanted to put her hand to her face. She endured it and remained expressionless, but internally――.
(What are you doing, Lyell-kun? He's not the kind of person you should make an enemy of.)
An excellent but somewhat screw-loose adventurer. That was Lyell's current reputation.
After all, a normal human would not pick a fight with a whole nation, even a small one, with only a hundred people. He was becoming a living legend, and movements to probe Lyell's surroundings had begun even in Baym.
They were also surprised that he continued as an adventurer in Baym instead of entering service in Zain.
(Is he going to do something again?)
As Tanya grew anxious, she heard certain words from the executive's mouth.
"Have you heard that this Lyell-kun uses mental-type skills? Apparently, he surrounds himself with women... isn't it a typical harem party? If he's harmless, we won't view it as a problem, but, well..."
The guild was not stupid. They monitored adventurers under such suspicion, and this was Baym――the headquarters, once called the Capital of Adventurers.
They had measures in place for such things.
Tanya's superior spoke with a serious expression.
"I have confirmed that he uses multiple skills. If I recall, he had a blue orb of the support type. Most skills that manipulate the mind are of the support type. I understand, we shall begin an investigation immediately."
"I appreciate your understanding. We cannot conclude anything yet. Let's dispatch people when he returns to port after subjugating the Land Dragon. I will also send someone from headquarters."
(Mental types are certainly dangerous, but if one has a certain level of resistance... no, considering Lyell-kun's strength, a mediocre adventurer wouldn't even be able to resist. It's entirely possible. It is, but... he's not that kind of boy.)
Tanya felt that things had become complicated――.
"...Eh?"
The Vera Trace had set sail, and I had been invited into Lady Vera's cabin.
With a red face and looking down, Lady Vera grabbed both my hands――.
"T-that's why... I admit defeat."
Even though I knew she wasn't looking, I shook my head.
(No no no no! What on earth is happening! What does this mean! You said you wouldn't fall for me! You――Vera, you said you had someone you liked!)
In my confusion, I sought help from the successive heads of the family within the orb.
Since Mireia-san, a woman, was here this time, she should surely be reliable.
However, the Fourth Head was equally confused.
『Hey! Someone explain this situation! I don't understand it at all! What kind of magic did you use, Lyell! No, Lyell-san!』
I'm definitely going to punch this guy one day. Deciding that in my heart, I ignored the useless Fourth Head and waited for the opinions of the other heads.
The Third Head was surely smirking. He spoke with such a voice.
『Hoho, just as I thought. Lyell-san is quite ruthless, isn't he? After all, when told not to think, humans tend to think even more... besides, she was relatively favorable toward you, so I predicted this development.』
If you predicted it, I wish you'd given me advice beforehand. How should I turn her down? I thought desperately.
Then, the Seventh Head laughed.
『Hahaha, isn't this great, Lyell? Now you've got funding.』
It was true that I might receive financial assistance. However, I wondered if that was really okay.
(N-no. Dating someone just for money... b-besides, I have everyone else! I have to take responsibility!)
I tried to speak to Vera, who was looking down with her ears turning red. Just as I was about to refuse, Mireia-san gave me advice from the orb.
『Oh, this is exciting. I'm curious to see how Lyell will accept her.』
The Fifth Head sounded exasperated.
『You're assuming he'll accept? It would certainly help financially, but... Lyell, what do you intend to do?』
When asked, I shook my head. Then, Mireia-san spoke.
『After she summoned the courage to confess like this, you're actually going to refuse? Weren't you the one who confessed first, Lyell!』
(That's right! I did confess! But that was different! Even she admitted that I was just in a high-tension mood!)
When I showed signs of refusing, the Third Head made a suggestion.
『Lyell, such a strong-willed girl squeezed out all her courage to confess to you. Besides, do you dislike Vera-chan?』
I shook my head in denial.
『Then it's fine. Whether there are eight or nine, that's a trivial matter now. Let's get that funding at the cost of Lyell's future. Once everything is over, you just have to work hard at keeping your wives happy. Marks... the Fourth Head is good at that.』
The Fourth Head sounded slightly dissatisfied.
『I am certainly better at it than the other heads. But please don't make it sound like that's all I'm good for. Also, Lyell! Your treatment of me has been terrible lately!』
I wanted to tell him to figure out the reason himself, but right now I didn't know what to say to Vera.
Then, Vera looked up――.
"I-I love you. I adore you."
From within the orb, I heard Mireia-san's scream.
『Kyaaaa, a confession from a girl is great too!』
The Fifth Head was slightly put off.
『I-is it? This development is too abrupt for me to know what to say... Still, Lyell-san is amazing. If he actually predicted this, I'd be impressed. At the same time, I wish the natural Lyell would try just a little bit harder.』
Thinking that he's just talking nonsense, I decided that I should answer a woman's serious confession with a serious expression.
"I'm happy, thank you. But――"
I tried to continue with "but," but the door was flung open and the sailors burst in. From the things in their hands, the sounds of gunpowder, "Bang!" "Bang!" could be heard.
They were wearing pointed hats, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. But they weren't guns. They were crackers... party supplies.
They were the kind of things Monica had.
"Congratulations, young lady!"
"We can be at ease if it's Lyell-san!"
"The Master will surely be happy too!"
As the sailors congratulated her, Vera's eyes widened and she clung to me. Entering with the sailors were Novem and the others.
Monica, wearing a pointed hat, set off an extra-large cracker. With a loud bang, small pieces of paper and thin strips of paper flew everywhere.
"Y-you guys!"
As I tried to complain to Monica, Novem was applauding.
"I think she is a wonderful woman. She is a fitting partner for Lord Lyell. I am sure she will be a great help to you."
"O-oh?"
Confused by Novem's agreement, I remembered what Septem-san had said.
(Novem is a goddess――no, was she an evil god? Is that why she recommends women to me like this?)
While I was thinking that, Eva and Clara entered the room.
The two of them were glaring at each other.
"That's why this would be more exciting after defeating Thracy! Besides, the details don't matter! Even if you try to convey things precisely, this kind of thing is impossible!"
"No, it's not! I cannot accept this. I will hear exactly how he won her over and keep a record of it! I will not allow a legend that leads to misunderstandings, written like a story!"
Aria watched the two arguing.
"Those two again... I mean, Lyell. You really have no discernment, do you?"
To Aria's comment about having no discernment, Miranda corrected her.
"He turned down the princess of Rolfis, didn't he? Maybe he has a standard? You know, that thing called the Walt family house rules."
May looked at me and Vera.
"...Hey, no matter how you look at it, Lyell is the one being supported. Is that okay? In the wild, some animals create harems because the males are strong... but for humans, money is important, right?"
The one who noticed May starting to learn about human society was the Fifth Head inside the orb.
『May, you are clever. In my time, I tried to keep you from getting involved as much as possible... you've grown, May.』
Mireia-san looked exasperated at the happy Fifth Head.
『Father, you're the same as always.』
Monica stepped out of the room and then returned carrying food. There were glasses and alcohol prepared as well.
"Hey!"
Monica remained expressionless.
"No matter how many women you make, my master is only a chicken coward. Even if this Monica feels it is unpleasant in her heart, it is unthinkable that I would not prepare! Now, the celebratory toast is ready!"
Wearing a pointed hat and carrying plenty of party goods, Monica had not a shred of persuasiveness.
(This girl is definitely enjoying this.)
The sailors said.
"You're thoughtful, miss."
"As expected, a time like this requires a toast with alcohol. Oops, those with work only get one glass."
"Alright, I'm opening my special reserve today! It's a celebration for the young lady!"
While Vera and I were bewildered.
Shannon, who popped her head through the door, said one thing.
"This woman was easy too."
Because she said that, I thought in my heart.
(You're one to talk, you easy-non!)
I couldn't help but think that.